May he rest in peace. He loved the land and all his family ever wanted for him was to be happy where he wanted to be.He deserves more respect than people realize. If more people were like him the world would not be in the terrible shape it is now - I guarantee you that.I love you Russell!Your loving younger brother Rowdy

This was most probabbly an unjustified killing its funny that none of the articles mention the on scene witness Frank Gurtler who took the trooper and "unnamed fisherman to Russell's camp and the fact that the fisherman/tourist who shot Russell used Frank's Glock 10 to murder russell or that with five bulletts in him why he was handcuffed in the boat if the trooper tried to administer first aid as the articles states. Rowdy your brother was murdered and it is being covered up by the troopers and an out of state corrections officer from Az "the fisherman" Don't believe that Russell was a threat after a 2.5 hr conversation with the Trooper the fisherman was boasting about the shooting after it happened and the night before in the bar in Manley all he could say is that guy up on the river needs to die it was murder and a cover up so far I hope it gets sorted out properly.

the comment posted earlier by Manley Resident is true ! What about the witness ? what about the fact that Russell was handcuffed with 5 bulletts already in him ? Will we ever get justice for this or is it ok to kill someone just because their a little different? justice is needed prosecute the unnamed fisherman who murdered my friend for over 20 years RIP Russell!

I am so sorry for the sad news of a man shot near Manley. I have been checking this board since a family member went missing in the area. There sure is a lot of sadness for a small town to take. I do not know anything about what happened and "justice" sometimes doesn't look how it should. I hope that you all find peace in this difficult time.

Russell SampietroHeard voices in his headWanted to be left aloneAnd for that they shot him deadOn the Zitziana RiverHe struggled with himselfHe tried to block the riverSo they shot him till he fellI don't remember RussellAs being mean or gruffLast time he came to visitHe seemed friendly enoughIt looks like he stoped takingThe medicine to quellthe voices he kept hearingWhen he was by himselfWith a trooper there for coverA guide from Manley too,Some Goon from ArizonaShot poor Russell throughIt seems th goon from outsideWas scared when Russell shotHis access had been deniedTo his favorite fishing spotThey say the goon was drinking All the night and daySpouting off for all to hearHow he'd make Russell payWhy was Russell handcuffedAfter five times being shotLaid face down in Frank's boatAnd covered with a tarp?Why did they call a health aideWhen they knew full wellRussell's soul was at peaceAnd their's were bound for hellI remember Russell as a peacefull gentle manA woodsman of AlaskaLiviing off the landThis is how we treat peopleWho are different from us?There but for the grace of GodWe may find ourselves....I remember Russell

I hadn't seen Russell for many years. But from earlier times, I remember Russell being a kind, quiet person that could spend a lot time living by himself in the woods with very little and be happy doing it. I don't believe for a minute, that whatever problems Russell was dealing with, that he could be threat to anyone.Without speaking specificity about the trooper who was with the shooter, as I don't know him, I have to say that the newer troopers in general don't seem to have much common sense, and seem to have "Rambo" style of enforcement. They seem to escalate situations, rather than defuse them. This really wasn't the case in the past, as the ability to exercise good judgment, be calm, reasonable, and be "human" used to be qualities that were valued in police in Alaska.I don't expect there to be any sort of investigation, other than some official rubber stamp whitewash, which is tragic in itself.Russell, wherever you are, I'll all always remember you fondly from years ago, paddling the the Tanana River in your red canoe with your quiet smile.-RiverratFairbanks, Alaska

I do not apoligize for my message, and you should not disregard it either I feel bad for you, but you dont just pull a gun on a trooper. Try to understand that if someone pulled a gun on you, would not not pull a gun back?

All this talk of love for Russell pisses me off-where the hell were all of you when he needed help? If you really knew him all these years, you would have seen the change and done something. I was not around due to work and never saw it happening, but I knew him in my youth and he was a friend of mine.No, he didn't deserve to die, there IS help for people with mental illness.To his family-we do visit his grave and remember.

I knew Russell many many years ago when he lived in NY, he was such a cute guy and so friendly, all the girls were in love with him. This whole thing makes no sense. How heart wrenching it is to see people now make rude comments about this terrible incident. Many things just don't add up, why did a prison guard, and I am using that terminolgoy to describe "the fisherman" because a Correction Officer would not behave as he did, why was he carrying a gun and using it. Why didn't the trooper use his own if Russell was such a threat to him. And 5 times?????? Senseless.

Russell SampietroHeard voices in his headWanted to be left aloneAnd for that they shot him deadOn the Zitziana RiverHe struggled with himselfHe tried to block the riverSo they shot him till he fellI don't remember RussellAs being mean or gruffLast time he came to visitHe seemed friendly enoughIt looks like he stoped takingThe medicine to quellthe voices he kept hearingWhen he was by himselfWith a trooper there for coverA guide from Manley too,Some Goon from ArizonaShot poor Russell throughIt seems th goon from outsideWas scared when Russell shotHis access had been deniedTo his favorite fishing spotThey say the goon was drinking All the night and daySpouting off for all to hearHow he'd make Russell payWhy was Russell handcuffedAfter five times being shotLaid face down in Frank's boatAnd covered with a tarp?Why did they call a health aideWhen they knew full wellRussell's soul was at peaceAnd their's were bound for hellI remember Russellas a peacefull gentle manA woodsman of AlaskaLiviing off the landThis is how we treat peopleWho are different from us?There but for the grace of GodWe may find ourselves....I remember Russell

It don't take long for guys like the fisherman to meet their water-loo.It always comes out in the wash....Read the Seattle news for the last several week.See what I mean? Nobody is above the law...even the law.

Well, if ya does, you just have to make sure ya intend to use it, like that one ex-military guy that shot the Alaska State Trooper sniper out of a helicopter back in may 19 of 1984. That was some darned good shooting by the man on the ground, he fired two shots and got a kill right away, the Democrats in the helicopter fired dozens of rounds, spraying the place until some lucky shots found the man on the ground.

"As I write this, I can see the sunlight reflect off the stock of his rifle as he swung toward us.

Silka, Troy, and I all firing at the same time; Troy and I firing 55-gr. tracers. Then, Troy fired three shots, I fired a burst of eight or nine, and Silka his first shot. He was using a Ruger #1, single shot, in .30-06.

Silka fired again, hitting Troy in the neck. I fired another burst, hitting Silka eight times in the legs, body and head. Both Troy and Silka died instantly. Capt. Lawrence was hit in the face from fragments of the bullet that had killed Troy. I figure the entire shooting lasted two secondsó25 rounds fired, two dead, one wounded, two seconds."

If you really want to know what happened that sad day. Go to the court house and request the case files. I hope none of you are ever put into the position of having to take another persons life. It's no picnic for anyone!!! You can all talk Monday Nite Football Issues and tear down all the players and their mistakes. With out you being there, don't make assumptions of what should or should not have taken place that sad day. The Police did a full investigation of the incident and Russel was charged with Attempted Murder X's Three. I'm a friend of the Corrections Lieutenant that did the shooting and he feels really bad that he had to take Russels life that day, but it was Russel or the Troopper whos lives that were at stake. You know what happened then. So get the real facts before damning someone for protecting others. Look at all the school shootings and stabings, not to mention the resent Boston bombing. I'm glad that some people have enough guts to make the hard decisions!!!

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